Starter for explosive engines



G. H. GUNDERSON STARTER FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES Filed April 15. 1922Patented i ler; 2'7, 1.923

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bra-n1 sla 5 Application filed. Apl'il 15,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it Known that I, Gunmen H. Gunner;- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Fairchild, in the county of Eau Claire, State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements inStarters for Explosive Engines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to starters for ex plosive engines, beingadaptable to stationary engines, or to those used in connection withautomobiles, tractors and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide starting mechanism ofthat type wherein spring or other tension or power means is employed forinitially rotating the crank shaft or fly wheel of the motor, whereinmeans of an improved nature is provided for mounting the springmechanism, for transmitting the energy from the spring mechanism to theengine itself, and for properly maintaining the spring mechanism in atensioned state after the motor has been started, so as to be ready forfurther use when required.

A further object of the invention is to provide a starter of thecharacter stated which includes comparatively few parts, simplyconstructedand readily assembled; the several parts being so arranged asto minimize the opportunity for Wear, breakage or derangement, which maybe manufactured, installed and maintained at a low cost, and which willprove thoroughly reliable and efiicient in practice.

With these and other objects in view together with others which willappear from the following description, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of whichwill be described more fully hereinafter illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view taken through astarting mecha nism, constructed in accordance with the invention, theview illustrating the parts in the position they will assume when thespring mechanism is inactive. I

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view STARTER FOB EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

1922. Serial No. 553,303.

taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar View taken substantially upon line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section taken upon line 1-4 of Figure 1.

The starter of my invention is adaptable to explosive engines of thestationary type or may be used in connection with engines for use upontractors, automobiles or other machines of a mobile type. In instanceswhere the starter of my invention is applied to the engine at the timethat the same is constructed, it may be established with the fly wheelor crank shaft thereon in a manner very similar to the manner ofapplication of other well known starting mechanisms, while in theinstallation of the starting device upon machines now in use, littlechange or variation in any of the structural etails of the enginemechanism will be required.

The starting mechanism in the present instance is shown as included in acasing or housing indicated generally at 5. the latter being of suchsize and shape as to properly accommodate the mechanism in propercooperative relation with the engine, the casing being braced by tiestruts 6. The casing has rotatably mounted centrally and longitudinallythereof a starter shaft 7, the latter being mounted in suitable bearingswithin the casing so as to be freely rotatable therein,

and having a head 8 at one end to be firmly attached either to the crankshaft of the motor or to the fly wheel thereof. Carried by and rotatablewith the shaft 7 immediately inside the outer head of the casing 5, is aplate or disc, indicated at 9.

- The drive mechanism of the starter includes a pair of normallyrotatable members or heads 10 and 11, the same being both freelyrotatable upon the starter shaft 7 and being preferably of equal.diameters. The head 11. is provided upon one face and centrally thereofwith a sleeve 12, which snugly fits upon the shaft 7 and serves tomaintain the heads 10 and 11 in proper spaced relation. The outer head10 is provided with a flange extending inwardly from the outer edges ofthe disc and approximately to the head 11. This space between the sleeveportion 12 and the flange 13 accommodates a motor spring 14, the latterbeing firmly attached at one end to the sleeve portion 12 and at itsopposite end to the inner surface of flange 13, and this spring shallpossess sufficient tensile rengthto drive or rotate the motor shaft.

The head 10, which it will be recalled s loosely carried upon thestarter shaft 7, is spaced a slight distance from the d1sc 9, and thespace between the said head and the said disc accommodates an automaticfriction clutch. This friction clutch includes a body 15 rigidly securedto the shaft 7, so as to rotate therewith, and this body has pivotedthereto at diametrical opposite points arms 16.

The arms 16 pivotally carry at thir outer extremities clutch shoes 17,normally lying in contact with the clutch ring or flange 18, carried bythe head 10. The body 15 carries a pair of outwardly extending lingers19, to which one end of springs 20 are connected, the opposite ends ofsaid springs being attached to the adjacent shoe carrying arms 16. Thiscontractile spring 20 nor mally maintains the clutch 1? in engage mentwith the clutch ring 18 of head 10. The construction is such that theautomatic clutch may rotate in one direction freely and independent ofthe clutch ring 18, yet in sliding engagement with the same, whilerotation of the clutch mechanism or the head 10 in the oppositedirection will create binding action between the clutch mechanism andthe said head, whereupon the clutch and head will travel together as aunit.

The head 11 is provided upon its exterior surface with an outwardlyprojecting clutch ring or flange 21, adapted to be engaged with clutchhead 22 carried by the outer ends of arms 23 pivoted to and radiatingfrom the clutch collarQ carried by and rotatable with starter shaft 7.The arms 23 are preferably provided 'ith turn-buckles 25, whereby theymay be lero thencd or shortened as required to enable the clutchmechanism to be minutely adjusted. The clutch collar or head 24 rotateswith the shaft 7, yet is mounted for sliding movement thereon to wardand away from the head, 11. This collar may be either keyed or splinedto the shaft 7, or the latter may be squared and the collar providedwith a square central opening, as will be understood. This collar ismoved toward or from the head ll. by means of the bell-era k as shown,the arm 26 of the bell-crank being engaged within the grooved member orportion 27 of the collar 24;, while the opposite arm 28 of thebell-crank is adapted to be engaged and moved, as will be understood, tocontrol the movements of the said clutch collar.

It will be understood that when the collar 24: is moved proper distance,toe clutch heads or shoes 22 will be caused to bind with the flange orring 21 of the said head, where upon a driving connection is establishedbetween the shaft 7 and the said head. Hetraction of the collar 24; willbr al: this connection, whereupon shaft 7 and head 11 are free to moveindependently of each other.

The casing 5 rotatably supports an operating shaft 29, latter beingarranged in spaced parallel relation with shaft 7. N ear one end of theoperating shaft 29 there rigidly secured thereto a band operatinglever30, which controls the movement of bralre band 81, passing over abraking surface formed on the outer periphery of .head 10. It will beobserved this braking surface lies between the spaced flanges on thehead so as to properly confine or house. the brake band thereof. Thisband and lever mechanism is such that when the operating shaft 29 isrocked in one direction, the band 31 will firmly engage the head 10 andhold the latter against rotation, while a slight rocking movement of theoperating shaft in the reverse direction will cause this head to bereleased for rotary movement.

The operating shaft 29 carries second brake lever indicat d at 33, thislatter lever being movable independently of the said shaft, the lattermerely acting as a support for the lever. The lever 33 is secured to oneend of a band 34 passing around the frictio surface upon the outerperiphery of the head 11. A spring 35 tends normally to maintain thelever 33 with its hand engaging friction surface of head 11, while aspring 36 similarly ,maintains the lever 30 with its hand engaged withhead 10.

The bell-crank lever which controls the movement of the slidable clutchcollar 24 is operated by a rod 37 which is adapted to be connected to alever or pedal not shown, arranged'in a position convenient to the reachof the engine operator. This rod is provided with linger 39 engagcablein a notch d0 upon the outer surface of a lever or arm all rigidlysecured to the operating shaft 29, a contractile spring 42 normallyholds the rod in retracted position when its finger 39 so engages *ithsaid notch.

In practice the motor as above described is applied to the explosiveengine by aligning the starter shaft 7 with the engine shaft andattaching the said starter shaft by means of head 8, either with thecrankshaft of the engine or with the fly wheel thereof. It is apparent,therefore, that starter shaft 7 will at all times be locked or carriedby the crank shaft of the motor and will operate therewith.

Assuming the engine to be running. when it is desired to wind thetension spring 14- the rod 37 is moved inwardly so as to cause thebell-crank lever operated thereby to slide clutch collar 2% inwardlytoward the head 11. This operation will at once lock the clutch heads 22with clutch ring and thereby establish a drive connection betweenstarter shaft 7 and the head 11. The drum band 84 is so arranged that noresistance is opposed thereby when the head 11 is rotated in a directionto wjnd the spring i l, however, should the spring attempt to rotate thehead 11 in a reverse direction, the band 3% will at once grip andrigidly hold the head against rotation. The band 31 normally maintainsthe head 10 against rotation, so that during the winding operation thehead 10 is held stationary while the head 11 is prevented from rotatingin a retrograde di rection. As soon as the spring 1 has become tensionedthe clutch 24 is retracted breaking the drive connection between thestarter shaft 7 and the head 11.

"When the explosive engine is inactive and it is desired to start thesame the lever or pedal is operated so as to move the rod 37 inwardly aslight distance. The toe or finger 39, which is engaged behind notch 40of the member 4]., causes the operating shaft 29 to rotate a slightdistance, this distance, however, being sufiicient to cause brake bandlever 30 to release the grip band 31 upon head 10. The latter head is atonce released to the tension of spring 14 and begins to rotate underimpulse thereof. The shoes 17 of the automatic clutch at oncefrictionally grip clutch ring 18 and lock head 10 to the starter shaft7. The motion of the head 10 is therefore transmitted to the startershaft and rotates the fly wheel or crank shaft of the combustion motor.This action continues until the proper explosions occur in the cylindersof the engine and the latter runs of its own accord. When this happensthe lever or pedal 38 is moved further inwardly until the finger 39passes beyond and out of engagement with notch 40, thus releasing theoperating shaft 29 to the action of spring 36 which moves the lever 30back to normal position, that is, out of engagement with head 10. Withthe releaseof finger 39 from notch 40 the extreme inner end of operatingrod 37 moves the bell crank lever arm 28 a distance suflicient to causethe clutch heads 22 to move into contact with the clutch rim 21 of head11, whereupon rewinding of the spring is at once instituted. When thespring has become completely rewound the rod 37 is retracted to lowerthe parts of the clutch mechanism to assume normal or inoperativeposition, and the finger 39 again drops into the notch 21, as will beunder-- stood.

The outer surface of the clutch ring 21 is provided with a series ofgear teeth in mesh with teeth of a pinion 46 carried by the inner end ofan operating shaft 17, mounted in the casing 55. Shaft 4:7 projectsthrough the casing and may be equipped with handle 48 to enable the sameto be rotated. This winding mechanism is provined. for the purpose ofpermitting the spring to be tensioned should it happen that the springlet is unwound while the engine is at rest.

From the foregoing it is apparent that l have constructed a startingmechanism fully capable of accomplishing the object set forth, and whichthough extremely simple in construction, performs its functions in areliable and satisfactory manner. The control of this starting mechanismis extremely simple and requires no different manipulation. 4

While the foregoing is a description of the invention in its preferredembodiment, it is apparent that changes or variations in the minordetails of construction, assemblage or arrangement of parts may beresorted to if desired, without departing from the invention as definedby the claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a device of the character described, a shaft, a pair of headscarried by and rotat-i able independently thereof and of each other, aspring anchored at its ends to said heads, clutch mechanism interposedbetween one of'said heads and said shaftand adapted to lock said headwith said shaft when moved in one direction, means for establishing adriving connection between said shaft and the other of said heads in anopposite ci-- rection, a pair of levers mounted adjacent said shaft, abrake band carried by one of said levers and normally maintaining thefirst mentioned of said heads against rotation, a band secured to theother of said levers and maintaining the other of said heads againstrotation in one direction, a rod adapted when moved a given distance inone direction to release the brake band carried by the first mentionedof said band carrying levers, and upon further movement in the samedirection to operate the clutch between the second mentioned of theheads and said shaft.

2. An engine starter including a starter shaft, independently rotatableelements mounted on the shaft, a counter shaft, a motor spring betweenand connected to the rotatable elements, means frictionally engagingeach of the rotatable elements, one of said frictionally engaging meansbeing releasable, means on the counter shaft for normally urging thelast-named frictionally engaging means into operative position, one ofsaid urging means being fixed on the shaft and the other means loosethereon, and means for rocking the counter shaft to release thelast-named friction means from its rotatable element, and means foroperatively engaging the released rotatable element with the startershaft when so released. I

3. An engine starter including a starter shaft. a pair of disks looselyrotatable on the shaft, a motor spring connecting the disks, clutchingmeans between the shaft and one of the disks, clutching means betweenthe shaft and the other disk, one of the clutching means being automaticin its clutching action, a counter shaft, a pair or rock arms on thecounter shaft, friction bands around the disks and each connected with arock arm one of the rock armsbeing loose on the counter shaft While theother is keyed thereon, an arm on the counter shaft, and an operatingrod adapted to move the other clutching means into operative positionand simultaneously engage the lest-named arm to rock the counter shaftand release one of the said "friction hands by rocking of the keyed rockarm.

In testimony whereof, I atfix my signature, in the presence of twoWitnesses.

GUNDER H. GUNDERSON.

Witnesses:

LOUIS JAooBsoN, HENRY PETERSON.

